Gov. Rick Snyder last month signed bills into law that prohibit school districts from deducting union dues and fees from employee paychecks and ban university research assistants from unionizing. The university legislation came about after University of Michigan regents gave graduate research assistants the OK to start the union formation process.

The laws are now suspended during the court process, Mike Hodge, an attorney representing House Democrats, said on Tuesday. The ruling also covered House Bill 5063, which would prohibit Michigan residents from circulating ballot petitions without approval of the Board of State Canvassers. That bill passed the House and is in the Senate.

Attorney General Bill Schuette plans to appeal the ruling this week.

The lawsuit focuses on the legislative process used to give the laws immediate effect. That means they’re effective as soon as Snyder signs them, instead of waiting until 90 days after the legislature adjourns, typically at the end of the year. The 90-day waiting period allows residents to petition to suspend the law for a referendum.

“That’s the significance of all this,” Hodge said. “When the legislature gives a law immediate effect, which they have to do by 2/3 vote, then they cut off that 90-day time period.”

House Democrats requested record roll call votes on whether the bills should take immediate effect. Instead, both were given immediate effect by way of standing vote with support from the Republican-led house.

Two-thirds of the House must support giving it immediate effect, but Republicans do not comprise 2/3 of the chamber. House Democrats argued that House Republicans violated the state Constitution, which requires a roll call vote if 20 percent of the House requests such a vote.